Identify factors that influence platelet usage and how computer modeling can be used to guide platelet collection and ordering strategy.

Program Description

Daily blood product use is difficult to anticipate. Platelet products are the most variable in daily usage, have short shelf lives, and are also the most expensive to produce, test, and store. The short shelf life poses challenges for inventory management and can result in increased platelet expirations. Transfusion services have implemented different strategies to maximize inventory management, ensure appropriate usage, and decrease expirations of platelets. This program will summarize the key issues surrounding platelet inventory management and review strategies to maximize inventory management, such extending the platelet shelf life with secondary testing and using computer modeling to predict platelet usage and guide ordering.

Continuing Education Credit

AABB estimates both the live and on-demand version of this eCast each to be eligible for 1 continuing education credits/contact hours for Physicians, California Nurse, California Lab Personnel, Florida Lab Personnel and General Participation credit. The final number of credit(s) and credit types awarded for this program (live or on-demand) will be determined by the program duration. For more information on each credit type please visit our
Continuing Education Credits webpage.

Speaker Biographies

Dr. Nancy Dunbar is a board certified Clinical Pathologist with sub-specialty certification in Blood Banking and Transfusion Medicine. She received her medical degree and completed a residency in clinical pathology at the University of Washington and subsequently completed a 1-year transfusion medicine fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco and Blood Centers of the Pacific. She currently serves as the Medical Director of the Blood Bank and the Associate Medical Director of the Transfusion Medicine Service at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, NH. She is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine in the Geisel School of Medicine. Her research interests include use of group A plasma in trauma and O-negative utilization during inventory shortages.

Dr. Tho Pham is a board certified Anatomic and Clinical Pathologist with a sub-specialty certification in Blood Banking/Transfusion Medicine. He received his medical degree at the University of California, San Diego and subsequently completed a Clinical/Anatomic Pathology residency and Transfusion Medicine fellowship at Stanford Hospital. He currently has an appointment as Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Pathology at Stanford School of Medicine and serves as Chief Medical Officer at the Stanford Blood Center. His research interests include studying antibody responses to carbohydrate antigens and developing data-driven inventory management practices.